Starting Up

Avian Granulator to Start U.S. Production With New Chicago Area Plant

Avian (USA) Machinery LLC, the U.S. branch of China-based size reduction equipment supplier Avian Group, has moved into a new building in the Chicago area.

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Avian sold three of its large pipe shredder systems during the first three days of Chinaplas 2015 in Guangzhou.

Andy Gu, Avian’s VP of operations, said at Chinaplas 2015 in Guangzhou that Avian moved into the new 32,000-ft2 building in West Chicago, Ill. at the start of May. Gu said Avian has purchased the building and already invested more than $5 million in renovating the space. At this point in time, the company is hiring six new employees for the Chicago branch, with the expectation to have 20 full-time staff at the facility by the end of 2016.

Gu said Avian plans to use the Chicago facility for local assembly of its size reduction products, sourcing all the necessary components, including bearings, knives and screens, from local manufacturers. At this point in time, the office is already set up, with the current focus on preparing the assembly shop. Once completed, Gu said the plan is for the Chicago site to be a sort of “Granulator and Shredder Super Market,” with a large showroom and quarterly open houses.

Chinaplas 2015 proved to be a very successful event for Avian, with the company recording three orders for its large pipe shredder line, which was among the equipment it displayed. The system, with features a 2-m diameter rotor, is made for breaking down large plastic pipes. New systems will be headed to Australia, Saudi Arabia and China, based on orders at the show.

Avian Machinery Co. Ltd. was founding in 1982 in Australia and has since grown into an international organization, with manufacturing, service and distribution centers in the U.S., Germany, Australia, India, Russia, China and the Middle East.